Flexible Multimedia Builder
By Clayton Crooks
Magenta II is a flexible multimedia authoring tool that lets you create applications of varying sizes and complexities. You can make everything from simple games to full featured programs. Magenta II is powerful enough to create any imaginable program type. By using the design wizards, which instantly add various functions to a program, you can develop a complete application without writing a single line of code. Designing the layout for an application is just as easy. You simply place objects on the screen and set the features you need.
Magenta is similar to other authoring tools, like Macromedia Director, in that it consists of an IDE, a (proprietary) programming language called Magenta Programming Language (MPL), debugging tools, and a database system. The IDE, called the Composer, uses a series of wizards to create applications, along with standard development tools such as a layout window and project compiler. Magenta II uses the popular Python and MPL for building custom wizards, and standard types of components ranging from bitmaps to scrollbars.
New Project Wizard
One of Magenta's best features is its use of
a Project Wizard for designing basic parts of a multimedia application. When you first start Magenta, it automatically begins the Project Wizard that lets you create a new project or open an existing one. Note that Magenta uses Unix notation for directories (c:/). This might be confusing for those used to seeing a drive referenced in Windows fashion (c:\), and although you can use the standard Windows notation, it appears that Magenta is preparing to be a cross platform tool in the future.
